The trial of Mrs. Branch, and her daughter, for the murder of Jane Buttersworth, before the Hon. Mr. Justice Chapple, at Somerset Assizes, March 31, 1740. With a just account of the prisoners behaviour at their trial; at, and after sentence; and at the place of execution / [Elizabeth Branch].

  • Branch, Elizabeth.
Date:
[1740]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The trial of Mrs. Branch, and her daughter, for the murder of Jane Buttersworth, before the Hon. Mr. Justice Chapple, at Somerset Assizes, March 31, 1740. With a just account of the prisoners behaviour at their trial; at, and after sentence; and at the place of execution / [Elizabeth Branch]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    <( *£ ) fworn againfl: them was falfe, and a malicious Profecutiony then Mils Branch laid, Ihe had ta¬ ken the Deceas’d into her Service when lhe was deftitute of Friends, and cloath’d her when lhe was naked, and therefore could not be fuppoled to lift up her Hand againfl: her. - * John Lawrence depos’d that Mils hired and cloathed the Girl, and had always ufed her civilly as far as he knew or obferv’d; that there had been lome Differences between Ann James and the Girl, and that he law Ann James ftrike her feve- ral Times ^ that her Miftrels threatned to turn her away for it •„ that he often heard the Girl complain of Anne James's ilkufing her, and lay ihe fliould live well enough if it was not for her s That he put the Girl in the Coffin, and that the Shrowd was put on in the ulual Manner. “i ( h t * f ' * . • > .N - m /tviyi CJiiit, JL iij j v ■ - JJjvJ . , >. ■* That he was prefent with Mrs. Branch and lief Daughter when the Conllable and Pariffiioners came to their Houfe and took them up, and that they had timely Notice of it to have made their Efcapes, if they had thought fit. V\ f. • I * +, r ' i- - ,. » . . , - ... * \Thomas Wrentmore depos’d that lome time be- fore the Deceafed’s Death, he heard lomebody cry in Mrs. Branch's Barton, but could not fpeak as to five or fix Weeks; and being about the Length of the Affize-Hall from them, he faw Ann James take the Deceas’d by the Hair of the Head with one Hand, and fir ike her with the other with her Fill clofed. \ - • • -- . , i. t JL »■ > • - >- - *' Anne Paradife depos’d that fhe often heard the Deceas’d complain of hard Ufage from Anne James, but never from her Miftrds, Mr< 3